Apparatus for making woven wire fence



(No Model.)

W. DBLAIN.

APPARATUS FORMAKING WOVEN WIRE PENGE.

No. 426,493. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

I in

liiiiinma v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM DELAIN, or EARUIAM, r A,

APPARATUS FOR MAKING WOVEN WIRE. FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,493, dated April29, 1890.

Application filed October 5, 1889. Serial No, 326,133. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DELAIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Earlham, in the county of Madison and Stateof Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Weaving Fences, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to improve ments in apparatus forconstructing fences wherein pickets are supported by two or more wires,and has for its object to provide a means whereby two or more strands ofwire may be simultaneously woven about a picket, so as to give supportto said pickets, as hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows aperspective view of my device as used in the construction of a picketfence. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged detail view of my wire-stretchingdevice. Fig. 3 shows a detail of the wire-weaving device; and Fig. 4 isa modification thereof, whereby three strands may be simultaneouslywoven; and Fig. 5 shows a detail view of the guideblocks.

A A represent two fence-posts, between which the pickets I) Z) are to besupported.

0 C are two picket-supports, each comprising two wires, which areadapted to be woven about the pickets b b.

D D are the weaving-disks, which are connected by means of the curvedadjustable connecting-rods e e, which are movably fixed to the disks,one extending from the upper end of the upper disk to the upper end ofthe lower disk, while the other extends from the lower end of one to thelower end of the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. These disks are ofany suitable material, and are each provided with the slots f f, whichradiate from two points near the center of the disk and are adapted tocontain the wires, as shown.

Near the periphery of the disks and at an angle of ninety degrees fromthe slots ffthat is, in aplane at rightangles to the plane of theslots-are pivoted the ends of the curved arms 2 6. These arms arepreferably of iron, and may be of one piece only, as

shown in Fig. 1, or comprise two parts adj ustably connected, as shownin Fig. 3.

The upper disk is provided with a handle, by means of which the disksare operated.

Ordinarily in constructing fence I simply use two supports, comprisingtwo wires each. These wires are fixed to the starting-postone on eachsideby any suitable means, and one wire of each strand is placed intothe slots of the weaving-disks, within the arms e c, as shown in Fig. 1,the other two being placed within the slots outside the arms. The Wiresare then carried to the tension-reels g g, of which two are employed,which are connected to one of the fence-posts or any other suitablesupport in line with the posts. These reels comprise two mating blocks,which are connected by means of adjusting-screws, and are provided withprojections which form a support for a suitable drum, that is providedon one side with a crank, ratchet, and pawl.

To the drum is fixed a suitable cord, by means of which the reel isconnected to the posts.

The wires to be used in supporting the pickets are clamped between themating blocks, and by means of the reels are drawn taut.

Mounted upon the wires are the wooden guide-blocks 7th, held together bysuitable screws, which keep the wires in proper position.

The operation of my device is as follows: The Wires having been properlyfixed to the post, they are placed one within each of the slots of theweaving-disks, then between the guide-blocks 7L h, and finally beingclamped between the mating blocksof the reels, as shown in Fig. 1. Thewires are then drawn taut by means of the reels, and the weavingdisksbrought into one of their extreme positions, by means of which the wiresare crossed. The disks rotate in like direction and revolve upon thewires, and thus simultaneously cross andrecross the wires, asillustrated in Fig. 1. WVhen the wires have been crossed, a picket isplaced between the crossed portion of the wires, and the weaving-disksby the handle are turned into their other extreme position, which againcrosses the wire,

but in the opposite direction, and thus clamps or incloses the picket.

Another picket is now inserted, and in this way the operation iscontinued. As the wires are twisted together between the pickets theirtension is maintained by the blocks g, through which they are drawn bythe operation of weaving in the pickets.

The distance between the pickets is regulated and determined by thedistance between the starting-post and the disks.

By the means of the adjustable bars 6 6 (shown in Fig. 3) the distancebetween the wires may be regulated.

In Fig. 4 I show a modification wherewith three strands may besimultaneously woven.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of two slotted weavingdisks, each adapted to hold twowires, said disks being pivotally connected by means of adjustableconnecting-rods, the upper disk being provided with a handle, by meansof which said disks are operated, in combination with a suitable tensiondevice, all arranged and adapted to work substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for weaving the wires in fences, the weaving-disks DD, provided with the slots f f, and movably connected by means of theadjustable connecting-rods e e, in com- Y bination with a tension devicecomprising the reels g g, adapted to work in combination with theweaving-disks,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A device for weaving picket fences, composed of disks having openslots extending from their circumferences toward their centers in thesame plane, and connected by means of rigid curved arms pivotallyconnected with the disks at points near their circumferences and inplanes that extend at right angles to the slots, and a handle extendingoutward from the edge of one of thedisks, to operate in the manner setforth.

VILLIAM DELAIN.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, THOMAS G. ORWIG.

